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Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and these recommendations come from my experience as a mom and as someone who has been using natural remedies for over a decade.
1. Steamy shower
This has been one of my go-to remedies for coughs with my kids over the years. It’s especially helpful for croup and those croup-y type coughs. Sit in the bathroom with your kiddo and run the hot water in the shower. It will steam up the whole room. I usually sit in there at least 20 minutes (or until the water is no longer hot!). This can work great on its own, but if you pair it with a respiratory essential oil blend (either in a diffuser in the bathroom or on your chest) it will give it an extra punch. After you sit in the steamy bathroom, step out into the cool air (wrap your little one in a blanket if it’s super cold out) – this is great for the lungs!
2. Hot water with honey and lemon
This is a good option for young kids who might not like flavored teas. It’s also really simple! I recommend using raw honey, since it has so many nutritional benefits and is so soothing to the throat.
3. Respiratory essential oil blend
Diffuse or apply to the chest with a carrier oil. The oils we like to use are: Breathe Again, R.C., Raven, or SniffleEase.
4. Chest Rub
It’s super easy to DIY a chest rub. Whip up some coconut oil and add a few drops of a respiratory oil like eucalyptus, lavender for calming, or SniffleEase. Or try making the garlic salve that you can find here.
If you don’t want to DIY, we like the Thieves Chest Rub.
5. Tinctures
We use a lot of tinctures from Earthley and make some of our own. The Cough-B-Gone tincture is especially great for soothing coughs. It comes in a kids or adult version. The elderberry glycerite is also super helpful (I use it in this soothe the throat tea recipe). Use code SILOANDSAGE for 10% off your Earthley order.
You can also make your own tinctures – mullein, slippery elm bark, and marshmallow root, are three herbs I keep on hand for teas and tinctures. The book Medical Herbalism is a great book to have on-hand if you want to dig in to herbs.
6. Thyme tea
Steep 1tsp of dried thyme in 1 cup boiling water. Steep for 10 minutes and add raw honey if you want before drinking.
7. Gargle
Gargling salt water or Thieves mouthwash will be really helpful on a sore throat. Not into gargling? Try a throat spray or one of these Thieves cough drops instead. These cough drops are our favorite and are so helpful for the kids and I if we ever get a cough.
8. Pineapple juice
Bromelain is an enzyme in pineapples that has anti-inflammatory properties and may have properties that can break down mucus. Drinking it can be really helpful – when my kids had a cough recently, I put their tinctures and vitamins into the pineapple juice to kill two birds with one stone.
9. Diffuser or humidifier
Running a humidifier at night or during naptimes can really help to settle a cough at night and ease breathing. Some diffusers can double as a humidifier, and putting essential oils into the air can add therapeutic, antibiotic, or antibacterial properties to the air.
10. Soothe Your Throat Tea
This tea is incredible for a sore throat and cough – find the recipe here.
